


Infection in my mind(of my heart)

by lovedbyshadows, PotatoGhostHaley



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Biphobia, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood and Gore, Dark Comedy, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hawaiian Hunk (Voltron), Heartbreaking, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Mutual Pining, Obsession, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Platonic Soulmates, Possessive Behavior, Protective Lance (Voltron), Romantic Soulmates, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Sorry Not Sorry, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zombie Children, Zombie Lance, prepare for your feelings to just die, we hate him, why is he so good at what he does, zarkon is the source of all evil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovedbyshadows/pseuds/lovedbyshadows, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotatoGhostHaley/pseuds/PotatoGhostHaley
Summary: The Zombie Song by Stephanie Mabeyor,The Walking Dead, but gayer.





	1. The Day of the End

   A pitter-patter of feet echoed throughout the small blue house. The sleeping boy was bombarded with a tiny body, their hands, and feet struggling for purchase. A squawk of surprise escaped the startled teen's mouth in a rush of air. 

   "What the fu- um... I mean... quiznak?" Lance wheezed as the small child jumped on him once again. His baby brother, Jay, would not surrender. His lungs cried for aid.

   "Alright, sweetie, give your brother a break," his mother said, covering her mouth to stifle her giggles. Lance groaned as the child jumped once more before freeing him from his torture.

   "Thanks, mom. You really saved me from that little monster," the wheezing teen gasped, sticking his tongue out at his little brother. The boy screamed in retaliation and was held back by his mother before he could attack again. Lance smiled in triumph. "Looks like I win."

   "Enough of that. Go wake up your sister. We have to leave soon. Hurry up," his mother said pushing Jay out of the room.

   "But Lance stuck his tongue out at me! And he said 'quiznak!'" the little boy whined from the hallway. "He should be punished!"

   "Leave his punishment to me, baby boy," she said smiling as she watched the boy smile smugly at his brother. When he disappeared she turned to her second oldest and sighed.  "That boy is such a handful."

   "Like me?" Lance asked, smirking at the thought. 

   "Heavens no! Lance, I love you, but you were a chaotic child," the woman laughed fondly. "You almost drowned yourself when you were his age!"

   "Hey! I thought I was a merman!"

   "I remember. Scared us half to death. Your father was in that water so fast!"

   Lance pouted from his spot on the bed. "I thought we were in a hurry? What happened to that?"

   "Okay, okay! Hurry up and get dressed. Today's the day," she laughed, leaving the room.

   "Really?" the teen gasped as he scrambled to change out of his pajamas. Quickly, he pulled his shoes on and rushed after his mother.

   "Took you long enough!" Julia squealed, running into his arms. Laughing, Lance caught her and twirled her around.

   "Look at you!" he beamed. "Dressed up all pretty. You got a date, little paladin? Do I need to beat anyone up?"

   "Nooooo!" she kicked her legs, hitting Lance right in the stomach when he started to tickle her. "Bubba! Stoooop!"

   "Never! Surrender, young paladin!" he cackled, dodging her attacks. He had to stifle his laughter when she roared insults at him. She was just too cute to take seriously with her pigtails and Mary Jane's.

   "I'll save you, Juju!" Jay yelled, kicking at Lance's legs. Lance yelped when his legs gave out on him and rolled to take the brunt of the fall. Julia screamed from atop him and pounded her little fists on his chest in victory. His lungs could not catch a break today.

   "Curses! You've defeated me, young paladins. You truly are defenders of the universe! My evil reign has come to an end....," he gasped out dramatically, adding in a few choking noises for good measure. His mother laughed at them from the doorway.

   "Come on. You can celebrate your victory in the car," she said, waving them on. Lance shot up and seized his siblings by their waists. He ran to the car and strapped them into their booster seats before climbing into the passenger seat. His mother smiled at him. "Finally ready? Alrighty, then!"

   "Is Hunk coming?" Julia piped up from the backseat after they'd passed by his house. Lance smiled at her and shook his head.

   "No, he's out of town until tomorrow. He's visiting his grandmother in Hawaii, remember? And before you ask Pidge went with him."

   "Oh."

   "Julia has a crush on Hunk!" Jay smiled smugly from his seat. His sister turned to him, her face red, and stuck her tongue out at him.

   "So do you!"

   "Nuh uh! Boys are icky!"

   "You're a boy!"

    "......I'm icky?" he started to cry. Lance looked at his mother, noticing the pleading look on her face, and turned to the children.

   "Boys are not icky. I mean, come on, look at me!" he flexed his bicep and smiled widely. Luckily, it worked and the waterworks transformed into giggles. Lance sighed and gave his mother a thumbs up. She smiled at him gratefully as they pulled into the mall's parking lot. He couldn't blame her for being exhausted all the time. The twins were monsters in their own right.

   "We're here! Now, listen up. No running, no screaming, no talking to strangers, and stay with Lance. Understand?" 

   "Yes, ma'am!" the twins said in sync.

 

   Lance sighed when his mother opened the door. He pushed the twins along with his foot, his hands too full of shopping bags for him to use. They screamed when they saw who awaited them in the house.

   "Angel!"

   "Angelia's here?" Lance asked his mother, frowning at her when she nodded. "But why? She's supposed to be away at college."

   "She came here to see you, pumpkin. You're getting your mark today, after all. Go see her," she smiled softly and took the bags from him. "I'll put these away."

   Lance frowned and made his way into the living room. The twins had climbed onto the couch to curl up next to her. His frown deepened at the sight. He stiffened when her gaze landed on him. She smiled and made to hug him. Lance smacked her arms away and stepped back. "What are you doing here?"

   "Geez! Are you still mad about that?"

   "Yes! I'm still 'mad about that!' In fact, I'm furious!"

   Angelia sighed and reached out to him once again. A gasp stopped her. "What happened to your arm?"

   "Her arm?" Lance asked, looking at the prominent bite on her arm. It looked awful. It was deep, bloody, and the skin around it was yellowing. "What the hell?"

   "It's nothing. Some creep bit me when I left the mall," she shrugged, avoiding her mother's glare.

   "It's not 'nothing' Angelia!" she fussed, rushing towards her with a first aid kit. Angelia rolled her eyes at Lance and smiled as if to say 'mom-always-overreacting-am-I-right?' Lance looked away, his frown ever present. Angelia sighed.

   "Lance, you need to get over it. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," she tried, her smile fading. Lance stared her in the eye.

   "No,  _you_ need to  _get over it_ ," he gritted out, his eyes welling up in his anger. His mother finished patching Angelia's wound and held the twins close to her as she settled in to wait it out.

   "I don't need to do anything! This can all be over if you would just pick a side!" Angelia yelled, her chest heaving with anger. Lance curled his hands into fists and tried to stop shaking. He felt  _sick._ His own  _sister_ couldn't accept him. 

   "I can't 'just pick a side!' I like both!  _Why_ can't you accept that? What is the problem?"

   "It's disgusting! It's unnatural! You can only be straight or gay! So, you're lying, and you need to stop!"

   The silence in the room was palpable. Lance felt like he had been slapped. His sister who had promised to protect him all his life was suddenly the one he needed protection from. Lance couldn't take it and ran into his room.

 

   He stayed in his room, trying to forget the events that had occurred. Refusing anyone who tried to enter. He'd been staring at the red that covered his entire right palm. To think that he was old enough to look for them now. His soulmate. It had only been twenty minutes when suddenly he heard sobbing and the pitter-patter of feet right outside his door. Lance burst out the door and Julia ran into him. He realized quickly that she was the one sobbing and he knew something was terribly wrong. "Julia? What happened?"

   "Angel and Jay!" she cried, blubbering when he asked her to explain. Lance told her to stay in his room and slowly crept down the hallway and into the living room. What he saw stopped him in his tracks and made his breath catch in his throat. His precious, baby brother, his little paladin, was standing over his dead sister clutching his hands to his chest. The coffee table was broken and blood was everywhere and even bits of brain matter were on the floor. Bile rose in his throat when he caught sight of the coffee table's leg embedded into his sister's head.

   "Angelia? Jay?" he asked, grasping at some sick hope that maybe this was all just a joke. Jay jolted when he heard Lance's voice and immediately ran towards him. Lance caught him on instinct and held him for what felt like forever. He pushed Jay away from his body when he heard the growling. Slowly, he reached for Jay. "Hey, buddy? Are you okay?"

   The newly eighteen-year-old couldn't help, but scream when his little brother tore his hand savagely. Right into his soul mark. The pain wasn't unbearable, but the horror he felt escaped his throat in a scream. His mother ran into the room and he watched with tears rolling down his cheeks as she stabbed one of her youngest in the head. "Go stay with your sister...I'll get some stuff together.....we can't stay here."

   "Mom? You just killed Jay! Why would you do that? He didn't do anything!" Lance screamed at her, his tears blurring his vision. He stopped when she slapped him.

   "That _thing_ wasn't your brother," she seethed. "Do what I said.  _Now!_ _"_

   Lance ran into his room, ignoring the burn in his chest and the corpses that used to be his siblings. He joined his sister on his bed and held her close. He hushed her cries and tried to slow his own racing heartbeat. He opened his mouth and began to sing Julia's favorite part of her favorite song. The end, he thought ironically.

    _"And though your arms and legs are under love will be the echo in your ears when all is lost and plunder,"_ he sang, his voice shaking slightly. He felt warm and welcomed the slightly numb feeling accompanied with it.  _"My love will be there still."_ He stopped and let his eyes droop shut. The warm feeling, along with the newfound numbness, overcoming him. Julia shook him and he began again.  _"And though you're arms and legs are under love will be the echo in your ears when all is lost and plunder my love will be there still."_

   He sleepily checked on Julia and smiled when he found she was asleep. Lance closed his eyes, sighing, and let the safe and warm feeling overtake his mind.

 

   Maria rushed to and fro as she gathered all the supplies her remaining family would need to survive. She allowed herself a few moments to grieve her fallen children before she pulled herself back together. She had to be strong. For her remaining children. She shook her head to clear her it and continued to gather the supplies. It took her fifteen minutes, but she did it. She'd successfully gathered all the useful resources in her home and she could confidently say they had a chance.

   She started when she heard a scream and a wet tearing sound echo throughout the humble house she'd called her home for so long. Dread pooled in her stomach in a horrid, cold ball of _wrong_. Maria had to take a breath before she could bring herself to check her son's room. She rushed into the blue painted room and had to swallow down the bile in her mouth. She fell onto the floor and looked around her beautiful, baby boy's room. All of his pictures - _her favorite one he looked so happy there_ \- , awards, posters, and all of the costumes she'd made him for Halloween over the years. The stars they'd put up on his ceiling during his astronomy phase, they'd begun to come unstuck. His bed, it always remained unmade no matter how many times she'd yelled at him. The stains on his carpet from all the times he'd spilled something on it and now from his baby sister's blood. It was pooled everywhere, spilling out from her chest where her heart used to reside. 

   She felt something wet hit her cheek and she looked up to find her only child left looming over her. He was covered in blood - _Julia's_ \- and his eyes were glazed over in hunger like his humanity had been taken from him. She lifted her hand that had been holding his for so long, but now held the blade she'd used before on her little Jay. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes once again and all she saw was her baby. Her blade clattered to the floor as she reached and caressed his face. He was on her then. Ripping, biting, tearing, breaking, and she held his hand in her's one last time. "My Lance. My precious Lance. I want you to now it's okay, I love you."


	2. Two Kids, a Married Couple, and an Edgelord

   The plane was full of chatter and Hunk was certainly part of that chatter. He and Pidge were currently engaged in a pleasant conversation with a lovely newly wedded couple that they'd met in Hawaii. They had just gotten married and they'd even been kind enough to invite Pidge and Hunk. Pidge was the ring bearer. Shiro and Allura were truly good people. Allura's father was a nut job, but Hunk liked him all the same. He was on the plane with them, going on about a dream he had where he had something called 'the slipperies.' Hunk left Pidge to deal with him and went on to tell a funny story about their idiotic best friend, Lance.

   "So, Lance is standing on Mr. Henderson's window sill and he turns around in his Cheshire Cat costume - he's fifteen - and says, 'This is the day you'll always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!' and then he jumped! It wasn't high at all, it was only a three-foot drop, but Lance still managed to sprain his wrist  _and_ ruin Mr. Henderson's flower bed for the year. Now, every time Lance sees Mr. Henderson he says, 'Henderson always  _hindering_ our fun!'"

   Shiro laughed and shook his head. "He sounds like my brother, Keith, always getting into trouble. He has some.....  _disciplinary_ issues."

   "Not another Lance. It's annoying enough having one idiot who flirts with everyone he finds even mildly attractive," Pidge grumbled, adjusting her glasses with a smile. Allura giggled behind her hand, her white hair falling into her face. It was cute how Shiro looked at her like she was his everything.

   "He's not that bad," Hunk defended, but at her look he relented. "Okay, yeah, he is that bad. He can't help it, though. And with what's going on with his sister you can hardly blame him for trying to distract himself."

   "What? His sister? What happened?" Pidge asked, adjusting her glasses once again. She always does when she's anxious.

   "He came out to his family and Angelia totally freaked. It was nasty. She was saying things to him like, that he's 'disgusting,' 'unnatural,' and that he 'should just pick a side.' Mr. McClain kicked her out because she wouldn't stop."

   "Are you serious? Angelia?"

   "You didn't know? Oh no, I shouldn't have told you that."

    _"_ _Passengers, if you would please fasten your seat belts for your safety. We are landing one hour early at a nearby airport due to some minor inconveniences, We apologize. Please prepare for our descent. Thank you for choosing Altea Airlines."_

   "Huh? That's weird. Inconveniences? What's going on?" Allura asked, looking out the plane's window. Shiro shrugged, helplessly.

   "Hold on. I'm going to get to the bottom of this," Pidge said, pulling out her laptop. 

   "You can't have any devices on when a plane is about to land. Pidge, you know this! We could get in trouble!"

   "What are they going to do, Hunk? Throw us off the landing plane?"

   "Yes!"

   Pidge rolled her eyes. "Just keep watch and you won't have to worry about that."

   "I just want to say, for the record, that I am against this plan!" Hunk huffed, keeping watch despite his protests.

   "Good idea, Pidge. Allura and I will cover you," Shiro said and Allura smiled. Pidge nodded and turned back to her laptop. She quickly hacked into the airplane's radio and pulled her headphones out so she could listen to the feed.

    _"What's going on down there? Why can't we land?"_

_"I don't know, Carl. It's insane. People keep attacking each other! They're everywhere! On the streets, in stores, everywhere. It's all over the news. And they're literally eating each other! I don't know what to do-"_

_"Paul? Paul? Are you there? Do you copy? Damnit!"_

"Oh my god, Lance. Lance stayed! He doesn't know!" Pidge began to panic, quickly checking in on the news. She unplugged her headphones and moved her laptop to where everyone could see it.

    _"Breaking news: there seems to be a break out of the apparent 'zombie' virus that appears to have started in West Palm Beach. That's right. It's not fiction anymore. As of now, we have no leads on how this happened or how it spread beside bites from existing 'zombies.' All we can tell you is to avoid anyone who displays the following: yellowed skin around a bite, abnormally high resistance to pain, blood-covered clothing, and anyone who has red pupils. If you engage a 'zombie' in a fight the only sure way to kill them appears to be by severely damaging their hearts or brains. We'll be back when we have more to report."_

 "What was that?Is this all some sort of sick joke?" Hunk asked, his voice rising in panic. This couldn't be happening. What about his family? What about Lance? It all had to be some twisted elaborate prank.

   "Can you find some footage, Pidge?" Shiro asked, pulling Allura close to him. "I think we all need proof."

   "Right," she pulled up the news site again and YouTube. YouTube was, of course, useless, so she hacked into the news site data files and pulled up a video. It was what they were looking for and it was horrifying. Blood was coating the streets, the cars, and houses. People were screaming, running away and pushing other people down as well. The infected right behind them. Blood and saliva dripping down from their gaping maws. It looked like a massacre. Hunk was horrified and voiced his concerns.

   "So, not a joke. What about our families? Lance? It's his birthday! And they don't know!" he hyperventilated, his hands coming up to his face. "They could be dead for all we know! I knew we should've dragged Lance along with us!" 

   "Calm down, Hunk. This is not the time to panic. it's not your fault this happened near Lance. You had no way of knowing this would happen. The situation wouldn't be any better if Lance had come with you. From what you told me I can confidently say, he'd be too worried about his family. It's going to be okay. Deep breaths. We'll find them," Shiro said, his voice soothing, but his eyes told a different story. They showed the panic and suffering of someone who had all but lost a loved one. Allura put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, her eyes blue pools of worry.

   "Are you going to be okay?"

   "I'm fine."

    _"Passengers, please exit the plane in an orderly fashion when we open the doors, thank you."_

   "We're here. What's the plan?" Allura asked, getting up to collect her bags. She opened them and threw out everything deemed unnecessary. Pidge's eyes widened when she saw the guns in the bottom of the gym bag. 

   "How'd you get those on the plane?"

   "I used this," Allura said, pulling out a blue crystal. "It works as a cloaking device. It interferes with the metal detectors and many other devices, so it's really useful."

   "It's a device produced by our company. We're famous for our advanced technology," Coran boasted, twiddling with his mustache. He had two bags with him. "It's a good thing I only packed food!"

   "Keep the guns in that bag and empty out another one. We're going to need one for other supplies," Shiro stated, ignoring Coran's ramblings and instead sorted through his own bags. Allura nodded and went to work, Hunk and Pidge following in her footsteps.

   "Maybe Lance is fine. His favorite show is the Walking Dead, so he knows what to do," Hunk said, breaking the silence that had crept over the group while they were preparing.

   "Of course, he's fine. If he's anything like Keith he'll be alright," Shiro said, hefting his bag on his shoulder, a fragile smile plastered on his face. "Ready? Good, let's head out."

 

   Hunk's body was moving on its own and he was scared. The growling and scratching sound permeated the air. He took a deep breath and pushed the slightly ajar door open. Tears welled in his eyes at the sight. His beloved parents were dead, being eaten by the kind old woman who lived next to them. He remembered how she used to give him cookies when he helped her mow her yard. He closed the door and turned around to see Pidge was crying. He followed her gaze and saw her mother. Or rather what used to be her mother.

   "Let's go get Lance," he said crossing the street to Lance's house. When he reached out to the door he was startled when he heard something thud against it. Hunk looked at the group for support and hid behind where the door would cover his body when he opened it. He signaled the group and they moved into their own hiding spots. He opened the door and a red blur burst into the road. He looked and had to stop the scream that threatened to blow his cover.

   It was Lance.

   He was covered in blood, his hands dripping it onto the black pavement, his mouth smeared with it. He was growling, sniffing the air aggressively as he twitched. It was a harrowing sight. He covered his mouth to stifle his sobs. Lance turned towards Hunk, sniffing the air, and stopped a few feet in front of him. Hunk almost couldn't keep it together when he saw his best friend's once lively eyes now dead and glazed with a red pupil labeling him as a monster. He prepared for the worst, screwing his eyes shut, but Lance simply ran off. Hunk slowly opened his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding in.

   "Are you okay?" Pidge asked, coming up to him after Lance disappeared. Hunk shook his head and pushed past her to walk into the house.

   "There's a bag of supplies in the kitchen. Should we take it?" Allura asked, looking into the bag. It was full of things they'd need, medical supplies, water, and toiletries.

   "Yes, we need all of the supplies we can get," Shiro answered, his voice echoing throughout the small house. Hunk ignored their chatter and made to explore the blue house that had used to be a second home to him. The living room was a terrible sight and he swallowed down the bile in his mouth as he moved past the mangled corpses of Lance's brother and sister. He wiped his forehead and pressed on, Pidge a comforting presence behind him. He traveled down the all and into Lance's room. He couldn't stop himself from throwing up this time. It was truly horrifying. Blood had soaked into the carpet and the bodies had long ago gone cold. Their chests were mangled, their hearts missing, and Hunk cried when he recognized them. It was Lance's little sister, Julia, and his mother, Maria. He saw Maria was smiling and he knew she had left this world to be with her children.

   He stepped deeper into the room and let his gaze wander over the pictures, posters, and awards. Lance was always the best at swimming - _was_  - and archery. It was why they'd tried to make him team captain multiple times. But what really caught his eye was the picture documenting the beginning of their friendship. He remembered it like it was yesterday. They were in seventh grade and Hunk had just moved here. They'd been forced to go on this lame field trip to a run-down museum. It was part of their history class and Lance had pulled him away from the group, so they could learn about the 'real important stuff.' Needless to say, throwing the figurines from a war display at each other was not an acceptable way of learning. They'd both gotten detention for a week, but despite the rough start they'd been best friends ever since. Pidge had joined their group soon after.

   "Hunk? Are you okay? You're crying...," Pidge asked, squeezing his shoulder. Hunk wiped his eyes, holding the picture in his trembling hands, and smiled at her.

   "I'll be fine. It's just.... tough, you know?"

   "Yeah."

   "We'll never watch movies with him again."

   "He'll never tease me for putting pineapple on my pizza again."

   "We'll never talk to him again. We'll never laugh together again. We'll never be dragged into another one of his crazy schemes again. He's...... _gone_."

   Shiro walked in and stared at the mess of bodies on the floor, his face paling rapidly. "It's getting dark. We're going to have to stay here for the night. I'm..... I'm sorry."

   "It's okay," they whispered never taking their eyes off the picture.

 

   Keith was freaking out. He'd run right into a park invested with the monsters that weren't just fiction anymore. They were fucking real now. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by the infected and he'd already been scratched a few times. Thankfully, the only way to be infected was to be bitten and that sure as hell wasn't going to happen. He refused to go down that way. He'd kill himself before he let himself become one of those  _things_. He knew he should've gone with Shiro. He knew something _bad_ was going to happen.  _He knew and he stayed._ Shiro and his new wife, Allura, along with her father, Coran, could be _d_ _ead_ for all he knew. They could be dying right now, at this _very moment and he couldn't do anything_. All because of his stupid fucking fear of heights. Sometimes, he hated everything and everyone.

   "That all you bitches got?" he grunted, rolling to avoid an attack. Damn, these things were  _fast._ "Heh, of course, you wouldn't be fucking slow, you fucking bitch. Just my damn luck. I fucking hate this."

   The zombie roared and charged again. He dodged, stabbing it in the head as he passed, and wiped his forehead. He couldn't keep this up forever and it had already been a couple of hours. Whipping his knife out to face away from him, he scanned the area for an escape. He spotted one in the form of a ladder and he readied himself to run for it. A vision of falling and breaking on the concrete flashed unbidden behind his eyes. He shook his head and dodged yet another attack just in time. He couldn't do it, he'd fight his way out or die trying.

   "Let's dance," he paused. "Shit, that was so edgy. I'd better watch myself, I don't want to cut myself on that edge. I mean, damn."

   Suddenly, a red blur ran past him and he heard the wet  _thud_ and  _crack_ of the skull of the zombie behind him as it hit the pavement. He killed the zombie currently attacking him and turned around to look at his current savior. With a jolt of surprise - _and fear because this one was even faster than the others and by the looks of it, stronger_ \- he realized his 'savior' was another one of these monsters. It was an afflicting sight, but a morbid part of himself wouldn't allow him to look away. So, he watched as this zombie ripped apart it's own, tearing their hearts out in a _spurt_ of blood, biting down with a _squelch_. 

   It hadn't noticed him yet, so he gathered all the courage he could muster and ran for the ladder. He'd never moved so fast in his life - _if his gym teacher could see him now, but Keith had killed him_ \- and he was up the ladder and on the roof in a few minutes. He pulled the ladder up so nothing could follow him. When he was done he settled in and watched the zombie below viciously tear apart the other infected. It was mesmerizing in its own sick, twisted way. He couldn't look away. He wanted to, but something stopped him. It was a slaughter. This new zombie was like a force of nature. It would take an army just to take it down or maybe he was exaggerating a little. 

   The zombie quickly finished off all the others in its vicinity and he watched as it sniffed the air. He was confident it wouldn't find him, and even if it did it had no way of getting to him. He watched as it walked to the building he resided on and stopped before it. It lifted its head, and he was struck by how _beautiful_ they were, even in death. They were the color of the ocean and the red of the pupil brought it out even more. He knew by the way they were glazed over that they were dead, but he couldn't help but imagine what they looked like before. They were athletic, mischievous, loving, maybe a little bit of a flirt, and they were full of life. He imagined the eyes sparkling as the ocean that resided in them moved and _oh my fucking god, did the zombie just say his fucking name?_

   "What the actual fu-"

   "Quiznak!"

   "Lance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were so excited to see your supportive comments, so we knew we had to get on it right away. It is due to your love and support that this chapter came out so quickly. Thank you!
> 
>  
> 
> Lance was such an alive and sweet boy. Why do we do this?


	3. Apples to Hearts

    _It was hot, but he felt cold. It was weird and disorienting. He didn't like it. He breathed and was overwhelmed by an appetizing scent. He opened his eyes, it was black, and looked down at the being in his arms. His vision exploded in red as he saw the veins leading to the beating heart. Drool pooled in his mouth. He wanted it. He needed it. He'd die without it. Drool spilled from his lips as he reached for the pulsing red. He was met with resistance so he sunk his nails into it and ripped._

    _A choked scream sounded through the room, but he was too ecstatic to notice. He dug his hands into the red and brought his face down to it. He opened his jaw as wide as he could and bit down, hard. There was a wet_ squelch  _and suddenly his mouth was overwhelmed with flavor. It was so sweet. It wasn't enough, he needed more. He bit down again and again, licking the sweet red liquid off of his hands. He inhaled again and turned his head towards the new mouth-watering smell. His black vision exploded in red once more. He pounced._

    _He tore into his new victim with a sickening amount of glee. Eager to fill his empty stomach. Only this time there was a familiar pressure on his hand and a comforting whisper in his ear. "I love you...."_

   That seemed like a distant memory now. A fading echo. For all Lance could focus on was the beautiful man on the roof of the building in front of him. His black hair framing his face, grey-blue eyes staring at him, his clothes covering his clothes. He was mesmerized.

    _"Mine,"_ he growled out lowly, watching the human. He approached the roof cautiously, his head tilted. The human watched him with wide, confused eyes. His hair falling into his eyes. Lance knew this human. "Keith!"

   "What the actual fu-?" he started but Lance quickly cut him off, something buried deep within him censoring it.

   "Quiznack!" Keith watched him with wide eyes, his mouth open on surprise. Lance thought he looked funny.

   "Lance?" the human asked, his nose scrunched up in confusion. Lance's infected heart clenched at the sight. He searched for the words to answer his human. None came.

   "Keith!" he huffed in frustration. He pawed at the wall of the building the dark-haired boy resided on. His head tilted. "Mine?"

   "This can't be happening," Keith clutched at his hair, breathing in deeply. "First, zombies are real and now  _this?_ That is such bullshit."

   He watched his human in confusion. What was he so upset about? Maybe he was hungry. Lance could relate, he was hungry too. He trilled and wandered off to find food. Thankfully, there was a surplus of zombies nearby and he found a nice heart in no time. He hummed as he made his way back to his raven-haired human. He barked loudly to gain Keith's attention and grinned as he offered up the organ. "Hungry?"

   "Fuck no! People don't eat other people, Lance!" Keith shouted and Lance couldn't have that. He ate the heart himself and left once again, ignoring Keith's protests. Lance searched the area, finding some strange red balls he distinctly knew to be apples. Content, he ran back to Keith and bounced excitedly.

   "Keith!" he called, waving the apples around. "Keith eat!"

   Keith only started in confusion before sighing. "I must be dreaming. Alright, throw them up!"

   Lance looked down at his gatherings and huffed. He glanced back at Keith and moaned loudly. "Keith!"

   "What?" Keith stared at him in confusion and Lance moaned again. "Throw them up!"

   "Keith!" he barked again as he pawed at the building. What did his human want him to do? He felt useless. He cried out and Keith's face lit up in realization.

   "You don't remember how to fucking throw?" the human teen screeched, his voice cracking. "What the hell?" he looked down at Lance before sighing. Quickly, he snapped his fingers to catch Lance's attention and motioned throwing a ball. "Throwing," he spoke carefully as if speaking to a child. "Now, throw them up."

   Lance looked down at the red things - no, the apples - before deciding to trust Keith. He sluggishly threw them and luckily, Keith caught them. Keith grimaced when he saw the apples up close. They weren't red, they were green. They were just covered in blood. Lance crooned from down below, hoping to get Keith's attention, but was, ultimately, ignored. He decided to watch as Keith used water from his canteen to clean the apples before eating them. Lance's stomach growled at this sight and he, reluctantly, got up to find a nice, juicy heart to snack on.

   "Hey! Where are you going?" Keith called him and Lance paused to look at him. He held the newly acquired heart up to his mouth and bit down, keeping his eyes on Keith all the while. Keith paled and looked away. "That's fucking disgusting, you know that?"

   Lance only chirped in response, finishing his meal quickly before sitting down at the base of the building. He'd wait for Keith to come down. There was plenty of food for the both of them. Plenty of hearts and apples to go around. Lance couldn't be happier.

  

   Shiro was panicking. It didn't look like it, but  _fuck, he was panicking._  Keith wasn't at the house which wasn't that surprising considering it was Keith he was talking about. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was they'd been looking for him for three days.  _Three days_. And there was no sign of him and Shiro was  _fucking panicking._ He couldn't let it show, though. No matter how much he wanted to scream. He had to stay strong for his group. They couldn't take much more. Pidge and Hunk had both lost their families and friend. Not to mention the fact that they had seen said friend in all his zombie glory. Yes, Shiro had to stay strong for them. For Allura. It was going to be fine. He'd find Keith. It was going to be fine.

   "Guys?" Hunk called out nervously, his voice barely above a mumble. He'd been silent since they'd left Lance's house. Shiro couldn't blame the kid. "Do you hear that?"

  "Hear what?" Coran chirped from beside Allura, scanning the area for any threats. He'd taken it upon himself to be Allura's bodyguard. "I don't hear diddly squat!"

   "Wait, no. I hear it too," Pidge cupped her ears as if to amplify her hearing. She pointed towards the marketplace. "It's coming from over there!"

   Shiro strained his ears and his eyes widened when he heard yells.  _Human_  yells. "Let's go check it out," he suggested and they nodded at him. Shiro smiled and they headed out.

   The streets were empty and cold, dried blood littering the roads in little splatters. The smell of death and decay thick like a fog. It choked him, but he pressed onward. And he was so happy he did because there, on the rooftop of Ron's Flowershop, stood Keith. Shiro had never felt a relief so great as that. And he laughed until he saw  _it._

    _Lance._

   He was stalking around the building, looking back at Keith every now and then. Shiro paled and quickly looked at Hunk and Pidge. They were horrified, their eyes welling up with tears, and Shiro had to look away. He, instead, focused on Keith. His brother was yelling, waving his arms around himself angrily. Shiro signaled the group. They were getting Keith.

   The closer they crept, the louder Keith's voice became. "Stop it! I do  _not_ want to eat hearts, Lance! Quit bringing them to me!"

   "What?" Pidge whispered from their cover. They were all huddled behind a car, a few meters away from Lance.

   Hunk gulped. "Did he just say hearts? As in the organ? And Lance is bringing them to him? What's happening?"

   "I don't know," Shiro shook his head. "Maybe there's something going on that we haven't seen yet."

   "Shiro's right. Let's wait before we jump in," Allura pulled her hair up into a messy bun, hair tie clenched between her teeth, as she said this. Shiro thought she looked beautiful. "But be ready to be attacked at a moment's notice."

   Pidge nodded, a determined look in her eyes, as she readied her pistol. Hunk breathed in deeply, smiling shakily. Shiro admired them. He knew that if something ever happened to Keith he wouldn't be nearly as brave. They were strong. The group waited with bated breath. Then, the unthinkable happened.

   "Keith!" Lance  _spoke._

That's it. He was done with these curve balls life kept throwing at him. Shiro was done. He just wanted to sleep.

  

   " _What?"_ Keith hissed from the rooftop. "What do you want?"

   Lance only smiled at him and while it was endearing, the blood smeared on his lips and teeth took away from it a bit. He was still pretty, though. And Keith really didn't know how to handle it. The one time in his life a hot boy notices him and it's a fucking zombie. Keith hated life sometimes. Lance looked at him, worriedly and pointed wildly. "Keith!"

  "What is it?" he conceded with a sigh and look in the direction Lance was pointing in. He froze at the sight. A swarm of zombies were flooding the streets. Already some were nearing the building he'd climbed on. Keith wanted to scream. "This is just fucking great."

   Lance growled low in his chest and ripped apart any of the infected that strayed too close to Keith. Keith watched with a distant sense of dread. He didn't expect to hear a scream. A human scream. He and Lance started at the sound and Keith laughed out loud when he saw where it came from. Hunk Garrett. An engineer at the Garrison. With Pidge Gunderson fighting alongside him. And Shiro. Fuck, Shiro was okay. He was alive. Keith closed his eyes and let his relief overwhelm him for a moment. When he returned to himself he spotted two more people. Allura and Coran. It was good to know they were alive too.

    _Wait,_ Keith thought as his relief slowly turned to dread.  _There are zombies down there. Fuck. Me._  He hissed in annoyance and readied his dagger. He briefly thought of lowering the ladder before deciding against it. It wasn't that high up. He could jump down. He'd just have to make sure to roll to avoid breaking his ankles. "Yeah, no big deal," he breathed shakily before he leapt from the roof. He did manage to roll but it still rattled his bones and knocked the wind out of him. He coughed and frowned at the bile that hit the pavement. "Disgusting," he wheezed in annoyance, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He heard another scream and he, ignoring his bodies protests, sprung into action. The zombie shrieked in fury as he knocked it away from Hunk and Keith's heart pounded. The zombie shrieked once more, piercing and shrill. Keith rushed it and kicked it in the stomach, knife already aimed for its head. It was easy and with a smirk he wiped his hand on his black pants.

"Oh my god! That was so cool!" he heard someone shout near him. Hunk gripped his shoulder, turned him around, and scooped him into a bear hug. Keith leaned into it and hesitantly returned it. "That was amazing! You were, like, a ninja, man! So cool! Also, thank you. You know, for saving my life."

   Keith stared at the dark-haired boy with wide eyes before laughing. "I think I like you," and with those parting words, he was off. Fighting his way through the horde of zombies. While he fought, his eyes automatically searched for any familiar faces. He didn't expect to see Lance fighting off the zombies as well and it shocked him enough that it almost cost him his life. A zombie swung its arm out at him, clumsily, ripping his shirt and exposing the blue handprint on his chest but, thankfully, leaving him unharmed. He killed that zombie quickly, eyes flashing back to Lance.

   It was horrifying, almost beautiful in a way. Despite being one of the undead, his movements still flowed with water like grace. Fluid, almost peaceful. But there was an undertone of a vicious current and it shined through his eyes. Keith was entranced. He couldn't take his eyes off of him. He was under Lance's spell and he couldn't even be mad about it. His brother's arms around his shoulders jolted him out of it. Shiro was shaking. "Thank god, you're alive."

"Of course I'm alive. Who do you think I am?" he smirked and returned the embrace. It lasted longer than it should have, considering they were out in the open. Keith couldn't bring himself to care. He laughed, almost sobbing and Shiro echoed him.

"Keith," Shiro said, pulling away from the embrace to look at him. He smiled before his eyes went wide this alarm. "Allura," he called out. "Allura!"

"I got it!" she yelled back, gun already cocked and ready. She aimed for something behind Keith.  _Lance_. He panicked and jumped in front of her.

"No!" he couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. And he didn't know why he was so panicked. Why did he care so much? Lance was dead! Dead! Never coming back. Gone. Still, he defended him. They looked at him as if he was crazy and he thought that maybe he was. "Not him! He's okay, he won't hurt us. Right, Lance?"

He turned to look at Lance, wincing when he saw that he was licking his fingers clean of blood. Lance answered him nonetheless. "Keith!" he cried enthusiastically, bringing his right hand up. His entire palm was colored red -  _too light to be blood -_ and Keith felt sorry for whoever his soulmate was if they were still alive. Lance walked up to him and slapped said hand on his chest. Right on his soul mark. He stopped breathing.

"Lance?"

**Author's Note:**

> So, when making this we actually had to look up 'why is biphobia a thing' to get reason as to why his sister is so opposed to the idea. Lol when you're so progressive you don't even understand why biphobia is a thing. Anywho, we just really want to hurt and that's about it. Thanks for reading, and we hope for your continued support.


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